Dana White: Topuria back in early 2027, Volkanovski fight waits on Gaethje

Ilia Topuria will fight again in early 2027, Dana White said on The Jim Rome Show. Rome posted the clip on X on Wednesday, November 4, as Heavy reported. White gave no date, event or opponent. In the same interview, he said a fight between Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight champion Justin Gaethje depends on Gaethje deciding whether to keep fighting.

Asked when Topuria comes back, White said "in '27," according to Sherdog. He went on:

"He'll come back in early [2027], and we're working on that, too."

Topuria's road back

Topuria (17-1) lost the undisputed lightweight title to Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn on June 14. He didn't continue after the fourth round, and the fight went down as a TKO at 5:00 of Round 4, per UFC.com. It was the first loss of his pro career. MMA Sucka reports that his brother Aleksandre stopped the fight.

He came out of it with fractures to both orbital bones and damage to his nose and foot, according to Boxing News, though outlets differ on the details. He was handed a 180-day medical suspension that requires a surgeon's clearance, according to The MAC Life. His physical trainer, Jesús Gallo, told journalist Álvaro Colmenero in September that Topuria would "be ready to fight starting from February," per MMA Sucka.

Topuria closed at −478 against Gaethje, a 79% chance once the bookmakers' margin is removed, according to our fight page. Only the Jai Herbert fight in 2022, at −625, saw him a bigger favourite. He had won his other eight priced UFC fights.

In a separate Rome interview in September, White floated a Gaethje rematch or a Paddy Pimblett fight for Topuria, LowKick MMA reported. Gaethje has repeatedly turned down calls for an immediate rematch, according to SB Nation.

Everything waits on Gaethje

White said he would "pretty much do anything for Alexander Volkanovski at this point in his career," according to SB Nation. But he said the decision sits with the champion, who is playing in Dave Portnoy's new golf league. "He's in the middle of this golf thing that Portnoy is doing. We're talking to him, but we'll figure it out," White said.

"He's gonna have to pull the trigger one way or the other, see if he wants to retire or continue to fight."

Gaethje (28-5) is 37 and hasn't said publicly whether he will fight again. "I have injuries I need to take care of. I haven't made a decision," he said on the Flagrant podcast in September, per AgentMMA. He has won his last three UFC fights as the underdog: +125 against Rafael Fiziev, +200 against Pimblett and +350 against Topuria.

Volkanovski (29-4), 38, kept his featherweight title at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on October 24. He stopped Movsar Evloev in the second round, per Cageside Press, after closing at −112, a 50% chance with the margin removed. He has pitched Gaethje as a champion-versus-champion send-off, as ESPN reported. "If they want to give me that opportunity, win or lose I'd retire," he said after UFC 333, per Heavy.

Volkanovski has also said he would fight Arman Tsarukyan for the vacant title if Gaethje doesn't want the fight, Boxing News reported on October 29. Tsarukyan (24-3) has won six straight. The latest was a first-round elbow knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19, in a fight billed as a title eliminator. Gaethje has said Tsarukyan would be next if he keeps fighting, per MMA Sucka.

We think Topuria's timeline matters less than Gaethje's answer. None of these fights is booked, and none has odds on our site yet. If Gaethje fights on, Tsarukyan has the strongest claim, and Topuria likely needs another opponent in early 2027. If Gaethje retires, the belt is vacant, with Volkanovski, Tsarukyan and Topuria all in line.